The Crown: The Official Companion, Volume 1

Elizabeth II, Winston Churchill, and the Making of a Young Queen (1947-1955)

By: Robert Lacey

Narrated by: Alex Jennings

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

The official companion to the critically acclaimed Netflix drama about the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, The Crown, by Peter Morgan, featuring additional historical background.

Starring Claire Foy as Queen Elizabeth II and John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, Netflix's original series The Crown, created by Peter Morgan and growing out of his Oscar-winning movie The Queen starring Helen Mirren, paints a unique and intimate portrait of Britain's longest-reigning monarch. This official companion to the show's first season is an in-depth exploration of the early years of Elizabeth II's time as queen, complete with extensive research and additional material.

One of the show's most powerful themes is that royals do not choose their duty; it is thrust upon them. Princess Elizabeth never expected her father to die so suddenly, so young, leaving her not only a throne to fill but a global institution to govern. Crowned at 25, already a wife and mother, follow the journey of a woman learning to become a queen while facing her own challenges within her own family. This is the story of how Elizabeth II drew on every ounce of strength and British reserve to deal with crises not only on the continent but at home as well.

Written by best-selling historical biographer Robert Lacey, who also serves as the show's historical consultant, this official companion provides an in-depth exploration from behind the palace gates.

©2017 Robert Lacey (P)2017 Random House Audio

If you like The Crown

To start, I have watched "The Crown"; three times. I love the story of Elizabeth II.

My favorite parts of this book is when the author explains how portions of the series were written, and the real history it was based on. It is clear that the series is only inspired by real events, and points out when those events differ from the series. For this reason, I really enjoyed listening to this book...

There are also background histories of the characters in the series, which give a quick and dirty background of England's 19th and early 20th century. If you know about English history, these portions may be boring, because they are very simple. However, it gives a great context to the story of "The Crown."

Don't be swayed by the TV version

The Netflix episodes of The Crown are captivating and interesting. This was a snooze- I believe it was meant to provide some historical context for the TV adaptation, but this was dry and boring. The narrator's attempt to connect the film version to this "official companion" were weak at best.
Do not recommend and had to force myself to finish Volume 1. Will not buy Volume !!.

Good except for the ridiculous accents

Robert Lacey's accompaniment to "The Crown" is a good read for anyone interested in understanding the real facts and history behind the Netflix series "The Crown." This might be especially useful for Americans who are not terribly familiar with the history of the British royal family.

The audio book book is brought down only by narrator Alex Jennings' use of silly accents when speaking dialogue from everyone ranging from Winston Churchill to Lyndon Johnson to the Queen. Most Americans sound like an impersonation of an old movie cowboy.. And most Brits like parodies from a Monty Python skit.

Five stars overall. Two stars for the performance.

I enjoyed it!

If you like the show - this is a good addition! I found the details more helpful.

I learned alot!

I am not a person familiar with the royal family, so all of this story is new to me. The book does a good job of showing what is true and what is fabricated. I rated the book at only a 3 because of the Audible version. The real book has tons of pictures that add tremendously to the flow of the book.

Wish it were longer

Good listen. A little bit of meandering but enjoyed the extra stories.. Lots of references to the show so while it gives you new info probably a bit irritating if you have not seen(or plan to see) the Crown.

Loved it.

Loved that it didn't just cover The Crown, but gave so much more backstory to the events and the real people involved. Hope they do another volume for season 2!

good if you watch The Crown

I haven't watched The Crown yet but I am planning too. This is good to listen to if you recently watched, or listen to each chapter after each episode to get more background. Otherwise it's a bit boring

I loved it!

I enjoyed listening to lots of additional information beyond what was covered in "The Crown," one of my favorite TV series. The narrator was wonderful. I hope this audio series continues; it was riveting.

Loved This Book

After watching The Crown, I had to get this book for the exact reasons it was written: to find out what in the series was real and what was dramatized. This book did not disappoint!!! All I can say is that I hope there is a book about Season 2 on the way.